Over time I have become less and less interested in material possessions and more and more focused on experiences.
The photo above is from the Chelsea football ground yesterday when I took a family member (and Chelsea fan) to their first Premier League game. We spent the day together, with the centrepiece being the shared experience of both the atmosphere at that amazing stadium, as well as a tremendous match. As a bonus, Chelsea won, despite having a man sent off early on.
Back in 2015 my two oldest sons and I did an “18th/21st/50th” trip for a week to Lake Tahoe and San Francisco, full of experiences from a wondrous and unexpected restaurant meal in Tahoe, to kayaking, hiking, downhill mountain biking, stand up paddleboarding, a bike ride over the golden gate bridge, as well as a baseball game. Memories that will last a lifetime, few material gifts create that.
Moving to business, a sense of place and experience can also be important. Next month a client will restart with me after a break. I asked them to choose a London park we have not yet been to for the first meeting. Our very first meeting was in Regents Park and, to this day, we can both remember where we stood or sat for different parts of that first conversation. I know it will be the same when we meet up next month.
I hope, from reading this, you do think about the value of experiences as memories, as anchors, and for giving.